After joining Anfield in the winter of 2018, Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk showed leadership in the final line immediately afterwards, leading the defence with aplomb. He has been an absolute target in corner kicks, scoring a number of team-saving goals.
Although his contract until June 2025 is still up in the air, his performances are undiminished: he is not easily beaten in one-on-one situations and creates chances with his long diagonal feeds. He combines top-class ability in every aspect of his game.
Former England defender Micah Richards, who also played for Manchester City and Aston Villa, was full of praise for the veteran centre-back, who will turn 34 in July this year. He happily said that he enjoyed just watching him play on the pitch.
“We’ve talked about Trent and we’ve talked about Salah but Van Dijk – oh my word, what a player he is! Yes, he’s good on the ball, he’s tall and he’s strong, but he’s effortless in everything that he does. If you watch his positioning, he’s always in the right position.”
“He’s one of the Premier League greats. We’re talking top-line defender…when to step out, when to drop off, when to engage – he’s got everything.”
“His contract situation needs sorting out, but I think it will be. Just watching him in every game, he’s a delight to watch. He really is.”
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